Angelonia plant named ‘Anbluim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Anbluim’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large dark violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ANBLUIM’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAngelonia plant, botanically known as Angelonia hybrid, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Anbluim’.

The new Angelonia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angeloniaplants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the summer of 2005 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamedproprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The newAngelonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the summerof 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia plant by cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since December,2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Angelonia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Anbluim’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Anbluim’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofAngelonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large dark violet-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angeloniaare more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of Angeloniahybrid ‘Anblauzwei’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,189. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of thenew Angelonia and ‘Anblauzwei’ differed in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia were shorter than and not as        broad as plants of ‘Anblauzwei’.    -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Anblauzwei’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Angelonia plant, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Angelonia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of typical flowering plants of ‘Anbluim’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Anbluim’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the followingobservations, measurements and values were grown during the winter andspring in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden,Germany and under typical commercial cultural practices. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C., nighttemperatures averaged 16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 kilolux to100 kilolux. Plants were pinched twice, two and five weeks afterplanting. Plants were five months old when the photographs and thedescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida ‘Anbluim’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact, upright and            outwardly slanting plant habit; broad inverted triangle;            freely branching habit; when pinched, about five to seven            lateral branches develop per plant; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 30 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 40 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Internode length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Strength: Moderately            strong to strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: Close            to 137C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 2 cm to 8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm to 2.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;            leathery.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 139A; venation, close to 139A. Developing leaves,            lower surface: Close to 137B; midvein, close to 145C;            lateral veins, close to 137B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single flowers arranged in terminal            racemes; flowers face mostly outwardly; freely flowering            habit; dense inflorescences.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants            begin flowering about ten weeks after planting; in the            garden, flowering is continuous from mid-May until frost in            Central Europe.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the            plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 137A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.3 cm by 3 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a tubular throat.            Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Darker than            82A to more blue than 83A; color becoming closer to 82A with            development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 82A; color becoming closer to 82C with development.            Throat: Close to 155D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 139A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Angle:            Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to            85D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther color: Close to 83A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen            color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma            color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color:            Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 177A.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:            Close to 177B.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less            than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C.

1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Anbluim’ as illustrated anddescribed.